


King Ranch Casserole

by shewasjustagirl



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Cooking, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-03
Updated: 2017-10-03
Packaged: 2019-01-08 14:33:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12256305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shewasjustagirl/pseuds/shewasjustagirl
Summary: Link's making a casserole for a special occasion, and Rhett steps in to help.





	King Ranch Casserole

**Author's Note:**

> If you'd like to read it that way, this fic fits perfectly ahead of the events of [Do You Wish It Was Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11707773/chapters/26366151/). Certainly not necessary to have read that, though.

Rhett couldn’t think of a time he’d been more surprised. As he turned the corner into their apartment’s tiny kitchen, Link Neal was cooking. Or at least he was standing in the kitchen surrounded by ingredients he’d assembled on the off-white linoleum countertops. In the 14 years they’d known one another, Rhett had seen Link pour himself cereal, heat premade meals in the microwave, and occasionally attempt boxed macaroni on the stove. But here he stood, humming and shaking his hips as he stared down at a yellowed, food-stained recipe card.

Sure, Link wasn’t expecting him home for another couple hours if he came home tonight at all, but there was no way he normally did this when Rhett was gone. 

“What in the world is going on in here?” 

Link jumped, not having heard Rhett come in. But when he saw Rhett’s smirk, Link replied with a sideways smile. 

“You know that girl I met? I decided to make dinner for our next date.”

When Rhett stopped laughing, he was still clinging to his chest. “You didn’t tell her that when you make dinner it usually means ordering a pizza? Or picking up some burgers?”

Link reached out and smacked Rhett’s shoulder. “Shut up! She doesn’t need to know all that. Plus,” Link fought for a moment until he freed his wrist from where it had been caught in Rhett’s grasp after he took the first hit, then turned back to the recipe, “pretty much everything in this casserole comes out of a can. What are you doing home, anyway?”

“I think me being here means you can guess how my date went,” Rhett shrugged. “Lemme see this recipe of yours. You steal this from your momma?”

Link rolled his eyes and moved down the counter, making room for Rhett. “She gave it to me because she knows I like it. And it’s kind of easy,” he laughed, jabbing Rhett with his elbow. Rhett looked over the recipe and the pile of ingredients as Link stared at his empty casserole dish. “You need an assistant? That onion ain’t in a can, and you’ll kill yourself if you try to cut it.”

Link grinned up at Rhett and nodded. “I mean, if you wanna.”

 

As Link deboned the rotisserie style chicken, Rhett chopped the onion. Link started the oven and greased the casserole dish as Rhett opened cans. 

As Link stood over the stove, stirring together the soups the recipe called for, the garlic powder and salt appeared next to him. Rhett just grinned as Link swatted for his hand. He had made it clear he wanted to at least do most of the combining and layering of ingredients himself.

Rhett leaned back on the counter next to the stove as Link poured the soup mixture over the tortillas and chicken already in the dish. “You know King Ranch casserole looks like slop even when it’s made by someone who knows what they’re doing, right?”

Link shook his head, his focus on pouring out exactly half of the mixture. “You’re just tryin’ to get me to let you eat it. You were gonna be my guinea pig anyway. The date’s not til Saturday.”

“She agreed to eat your food _and_ let you ruin her Saturday night? Maybe she is a keeper.”

“Dude, shut up. You can leave if you’re gonna be like that.” Link turned around to find Rhett with his mouth hanging open, only just fighting back the wide smile that threatened at the edges of his mouth. Link returned to his task, layering on some cheese.

“I’m just messin’ with you, buddy. You seem excited.”

“Well yeah, I kind of am. Speaking of you leavin’... You mind making yourself scarce Saturday? I think Christy’s gonna come over here to eat.”

“Oh, yeah, of course,” Rhett stepped away from the kitchen and toward their room. “I should probably shower or do some homework or something. Don’t set the house on fire, alright?”

 

An hour later, Rhett hadn’t reappeared, and Link knocked on the door to their room for the first time since they moved out of the dorms. Rhett had taken a quick shower and must have changed, but even then, it was uncommon for them to shut their door.

“Hey, can I come in? I’ve got two forks.”

When Link got no answer, he pushed the door open and poked his head around the corner. “You in here?”

Rhett was laid out on his bed, eyes closed and feet spread wide to keep as much of his legs on the bed as he could. He had headphones pulled over his ears, and Link could hear the music his Walkman was pumping through them. 

Link stepped into the room and, at the foot of Rhett’s bed, squeezed one of his big toes through his sock. When Rhett opened one eye, Link held up the plate full of the mushy casserole with two forks standing precariously in the center of the pile.

Accepting the plate as he sat up and made a space for Link on the bed, Rhett crossed his legs under him and looked down at the dish. “Yep, this is what I remember. Yellowish, pinkish, orange-ish slop.” Rhett took a bite and smiled slowly at Link, who stared up at him, eyes wide with anticipation. “Tastes pretty good, though, buddyroll. For a cereal chef.” 

They sat together in relative silence, each eating half the food Link brought into the room. When the plate was empty, Rhett made a big show of yawning and reaching for his headphones. 

“Well, I guess I should go clean up the kitchen,” Link stood, giving Rhett space and realizing for the first time that helping Link prepare for a date may not have been the best way for Rhett to spend the evening. If his answer earlier was any indication, his girlfriend had dumped him. 

Link was leaning out of the room, his hand on the door frame as he turned back toward Rhett. “Hey, what happened with that girl anyway? Tessa? Vanessa?”

Under his breath, Rhett mumbled, “She figured out I’m in love with my best friend.” 

“Huh?” 

“Oh, nothing, man.” Rhett put his headphones back on and his music was once again blaring in his ears loudly enough for Link to hear across the room. “You know how it is. ‘We can just be friends’ or whatever.”

**Author's Note:**

> Texas Monthly deemed King Ranch Casserole ["Lord of the Potluck"](https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/king-ranch-casserole/)
> 
> I'd love any feedback! Your comments and kudos would be very much appreciated! <3
> 
> And come find me on Tumblr as [clemwasjustagirl](http://clemwasjustagirl.tumblr.com/) if you're into that kind of thing.


End file.
